Chamberlain's Dream - From British Empire to Imperial Commonwealth (v2)

Yea...i read up to the Russian Feburary revolution and thought " yea....no.... "

Too convergent to OTL for no reason in alot of places, especially as you have a Austro-Hungarian empire survive when it's losing, but a Russian one still fall when it's winning.
 
Yea...i read up to the Russian Feburary revolution and thought " yea....no.... "

Too convergent to OTL for no reason in alot of places, especially as you have a Austro-Hungarian empire survive when it's losing, but a Russian one still fall when it's winning.

Up to the great war it should be largely convergent with the OTL. All you have is a more internally radical Britain. Yes the Great War is the tricky period. Is Russia winning? It's lost a good half a million more casualties and even with the straits open the support the west can give isn't really much greater than the OTL, just gets their faster. Yes I have issues myself with the Great War. I'm letting it stand for the moment while I develop beyond. But thank you, letting me know what you think is wrong is much appreciated.
 
Up to the great war it should be largely convergent with the OTL. All you have is a more internally radical Britain. Yes the Great War is the tricky period. Is Russia winning? It's lost a good half a million more casualties and even with the straits open the support the west can give isn't really much greater than the OTL, just gets their faster. Yes I have issues myself with the Great War. I'm letting it stand for the moment while I develop beyond. But thank you, letting me know what you think is wrong is much appreciated.

In some areas i can agree it would be, but it still doesnt make sense. Especially as given the rest of the entente lost as many men and why did the revolution speed up considering again, theres no reason for it. Its just..there. No buildup to pressures or anything.
Same with things like German-Soviet cooperation in 1922, or the fact the Soviets are running things anyway. How has Austro-Hungary managed to survive at all, given they lost the war, no matter what people say, it would disintegrate. It was even less stable than Russia, or Germany let they took the brunt of everything (plus why is Karl emperor, when Franz Ferdinand would still be alive here).

Theres alot more little things and others big that make as less sense. The problem with this isnt that it isnt well written or thought, but alot of it is simply copy pasted from otl, for no reason, with dates changed and no explanation as to why things have gone down that road, with completely different events happening. Think it just needs a bit reworking, and explaining in more places, and a bit of change, that can lead to the same outcomes, but for probable reasons rather than just because.
 
In some areas i can agree it would be, but it still doesnt make sense. Especially as given the rest of the entente lost as many men and why did the revolution speed up considering again, theres no reason for it. Its just..there. No buildup to pressures or anything.
Same with things like German-Soviet cooperation in 1922, or the fact the Soviets are running things anyway. How has Austro-Hungary managed to survive at all, given they lost the war, no matter what people say, it would disintegrate. It was even less stable than Russia, or Germany let they took the brunt of everything (plus why is Karl emperor, when Franz Ferdinand would still be alive here).

Theres alot more little things and others big that make as less sense. The problem with this isnt that it isnt well written or thought, but alot of it is simply copy pasted from otl, for no reason, with dates changed and no explanation as to why things have gone down that road, with completely different events happening. Think it just needs a bit reworking, and explaining in more places, and a bit of change, that can lead to the same outcomes, but for probable reasons rather than just because.

Thank you, I always say I appreciate constructive criticism and I honestly do. I'm not happy with the great war as it is (the rise of the fascists in an Italy that gets what it wanted is another hole). For the moment I'm letting it stand to develop the second war. But I will almost certainly do a version 3 to try get that right.
 
One exceptionally good point @jkarr has made is Franz Ferdinand. This has always been assumed in the timeline but I really should have spelt it out.

June 1914: The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, is assassinated by Serbian extremists in Sarajevo. The assassination precipitates a crisis as Austria-Hungary looks to use the killing to curtail Serbian ambitions.
 
Right, decided I'm really not hsppy with the Great War. So, changing some things. Lead up to the Great War the thing I'm most unhappy with is China. So I'll start with that.

August 1900: A multinational force reaches Beijing and relieves the besieged legations. The Dowager Empress flees but Emperor Zaitian is captured by US troops and sent to Shanghai.

September 1901: A massive indemnity is imposed on the Chinese in the wake of the Boxer Rebellion. Emperor Zaitian remains in Shanghai.

November 1908: The Dowager Empress Cixi dies and Emperor Zaitian is finally released to resume power. He immediately resumes his program of reform.

January 1910: Emperor Zaitian proclaims a series of political reforms known as the Nineteen Articles, transforming China into a constitutional monarchy. Cen Chunxuan is appointed the first Prime Mister pending elections.

December 1910: Sun Yat-sen's Kuomintang (KMT) wins the first democratic elections in China on a radical program of reform.

October 1911: General Yuan Shikai stages a coup attempting to overthrow the government of Sun Yat-sen and establish a republic. Sun orders General Li Yuanhong to suppress the uprising. Yuan seizes Beijing while Sun flees to Nanjing with the Emperor. The country begins to collapse into disorder and warlordism.

March 1912: Yuan Shikai's forces defeat Li Yuanhong's forces in the Battle of Nanjing. The Qing government of Sun Yat-sen retreats to Changsha.

April 1913: The Qing government's last stronghold falls to Yuan's Republican forces. Emperor Zaitain and his government flee to Hong Kong. Yuan's Republic gains general international recognition.
 
And a few other additions to the immediate pre war period.

January 1910: The Ottomans purchase two obsolete pre dreadnought battleships from Germany.

August 1910: Japan formally annexes Korea, transforming it into a colony.

November 1910: President Profirio Diaz is returned as Mexican President in blatantly rigged election. His opponent Francisco Madero flees to the US. This event will spark a decade long revolution in Mexico.

May 1911: Mexican revolutionaries force President Diaz into exile.

October 1911: Francisco Madero is elected President of Mexico. He will prove highly inexperienced, alienating both radicals and conservatives.

January 1913: A series of sharp defeats in the Balkans War prompt a violent coup in the Ottoman Empire, bringing the pro German government of the "Three Pashas" to power.

May 1913: President Madero is deposed in a coup by General Victoriano Huerta. Violence in the Revolution will quickly resume as Huerta establishes a brutal dictatorship.
 
Okay, redoing the start of the war.

February 1914: In the wake of the Balkans Wars, the Greeks begin planning a campaign to conquer the Dardanelles and Smyrna.

March 1914: Incoming US President Woodrow Wilson refuses to recognise the Huerta dictatorship in Mexico. He imposes an arms embargo and begins providing support to Constitutionalist rebels under Venustiano Carranza.

April 1914: US troops occupy the Mexican port of Vera Cruz to prevent a German shipment of arms reaching President Huerta's forces.

July 1914: President Huerta of Mexico is overthrown and replaced by Carranza.

July 1914: With the Kulkis and Rasediya both complete, delivery is delayed due to uncertainty of the Ottoman and Greek positions in the event of war.

August 1914: The German battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau flee the Mediterranean to Constantinople. While both ships remain under German control, they are technically transferred to the Ottomans.

August 1914: In response to the "transfer" of the Goeben to the Ottomans the British seize the battleship Rasediya. She will be incorporated into the RN as the Erin while her sister will enter service in 1915 as the Cmryu. This action causes outrage in Turkey.

August 1914: With the Ottomans clearly leaning toward to Central Powers, Pro-British Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos of Greece offers an alliance if the Ottomans enter the war. As a consequence of this, the Kulkis is released to Greece.

September 1914: The Belgians fall back to Antwerp where they are reinforced by three British divisions, including the newly formed Royal Navy Division.

October 1914: The Goeben bombards Sebastopol. The Entente declares war on the Ottomans.

October 1914: With the Ottoman entry into the war, the Greeks declare war and launch a surprise invasion of the Dardanelles at Gallipoli. Surprise allows the Greeks to gain a solid foothold, but the attack quickly bogs down as Ottoman reinforcements arrive.

November 1914: The Russians begin an offensive against the Ottomans in the Caucasus.

November 1914: Antwerp falls to the Germans. However the British and Belgians fall back along the coast, halting the German drive to the sea at the Battle of Ostend, leaving the port in Entente hands.

November 1914: With tensions between Mexico and the US at unprecedented levels over the continuing US occupation of Vera Cruz, Argentina, Brazil and Chile attempt to mediate to avoid war. Though the US will withdraw, the occupation will leave a lasting legacy of bitterness toward the US in Mexico.

December 1914: The Ottomans halt the initial Russian Caucasus offensive. Enver Pasha, one of the three pashas running the Ottoman Empire, orders an immediate counter offensivpe.

December 1914: Egypt is declared a formal protectorate after an Ottoman attempt to seize the Suez Canal is decisively defeated. The decision is made to launch an amphibious assault in February 1915 on Alexandretta to cut the Ottoman supply lines.
 
More changes to 1914. The Greek attack on the Dardanelles was unrealistic. I've removed it.

October 1914: With the Ottoman entry into the war, the Greeks declare war. The Greeks allow the Entente to establish a military presence in Salonika to supply the Serbs and begin planning an attack on the Dardanelles.
 
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Still not happy with the Great War

October 1914: With the Ottoman entry into the war, Prime Minister Venizelos moves a motion in the Greek assembly to declare war. However pro-neutrality King Constantine vetoes the motion and replaces Venizelos as Prime Minister, keeping Greece out of the war.

1915

January 1915: The Russians wipe out the Ottoman 3rd Army in the Caucasus and resume the offensive.

January 1915: Japan issues a set of 21 demands on China. The demands would reduce China to a Japanese protectorate. While the Chinese government of Yuan Shikai acquiesce to the demands, the US, Britain and France act to block the demands. Yuan's willingness to give in to the demands greatly weakens his support.

February 1915: Mistrustful of their loyalty after the Russian victory in the Caucasus, the Ottomans begin the forced deportation of their Armenian minority in the Caucasus. This will develop into a full genocide, with nearly one million Armenians being killed.

February 1915: Two British divisions land at Alexandretta. The assault is quickly successful and the decision is made to make a landing at Gallipoli to open the supply lines to Russia.

March 1915: British forces begin advancing across the Sinai into Palestine. The Ottomans put up a fierce resistance initially, but supplies quickly begin to run short due to the British at Alexandretta.

April 1915: The British land six divisions at Gallipoli. Despite strong defenses, the landing gains a solid foothold.

April 1915: The Ottomans divert troops from Gallipoli in order to launch an offensive to retake Alexandretta.

April 1915: Prime Minister Venizelos returns to power in Greece, declaring war on the Ottomans. Greek troops are sent to reinforce the British in Gallipoli.

June 1915: The British and Greeks clear the Gallipoli peninsula, opening the Bosporus. However the losses have been far heavier than expected. Former First Sea Lord Fisher is appointed to head a committee to review amphibious operations.

June 1915: The British hold Alexandretta despite a strong Ottoman offensive.

June 1915: Despite strong territorial incentives from the Central Powers to enter the war, the success of the Gallipoli campaign ensures Bulgaria's neutrality.

July 1915: The Arabs rise in revolt against the Ottomans as the British advance through Palestine.

August 1915: The clearing of the Bosporus allows an Entente fleet to bombard Constantinople. The Ottoman government flees to Ankara.

October 1915: The British and Greeks land forces outside Constantinople. The flight of their government has lead to a collapse of Ottoman morale and the city is quickly isolated and besieged.

October 1915: With the Ottomans unable to supply their forces, Jerusalem falls to the advancing British.

December 1915: The British, Greeks and Serbs begin planning a counter offensive to retake Serbia. Supplies are diverted from support of the Western and Eastern fronts to support the intended attack.
 
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